The history and significance of “The Quilt”

[flossieskid]

I can’t seem to find the episode (in my group of Walton shows) where the women on Walton’s Mountain were making a special quilt. Am I correct in remembering it was for Mary Ellen? I always wanted to know why the quilt was such an important part of a young woman’s life? In my memory, I recall that Mary Ellen was none too pleased with grandma, Olivia and the other women creating this for her, but I don’t remember why. I would be very appreciative if the Forum members would refresh my memory about the history and significance of “the quilt.”

As many people know, actresses can have a call time at 6am, where they would get hair and make-up done by 7 and be ready for the day. But, quite often, their scene isn’t shot until very late in the day if at all. So actresses tried to kill the time by knitting, crocheting or doing needlepoint as they waited for their scene to be filmed. I still have a yellow knit beret that my Mom knitted while she was waiting for MANY of her Walton scenes. Although I am a redhead and LOVE yellow, knit berets are not really the fashion in LA!! But I treasure it like it is one of the most valuable things on earth - because to me, it is!

[Easton]

It was Episode 21 of Season 4 - The Quilting

Earl's opening narration:

"On Waltons Mountain, as our parents had before us, we grew up taking for granted the traditions that shaped our lives. When my sister Mary Ellen took a stand against a solemn mountain custom, it was a rebellion that rattled the complacency of generations. She was 17, but the custom was older than even my grandmother could remember".

Mary Ellen objected to the tradition and refused to join the group of quilters, each of whom had prepared a 'square' of significance to Mary Ellen. In her eyes, The Quilting was nothing more than an open invitation to all the boys in Waltons Mountain that she was ready to get married.

Let the courting begin!

[Brenda]

Hi flossieskid ,
The episode is “The Quilting” from Season 4, and Easton is correct. Mary Ellen resented what she felt the quilt represented - that she was available for marriage and household chores and raising children. In the end, John Boy was able to convince her that the quilt did not mean that at all.  It was a gift for her so she would always have something to remember the people who cared about her while she was growing up. There is a well-written synopsis and images from the episode on the “All About The Waltons” website.
The Quilting

Judy Norton shared a photo once of some of the mothers (her mother, Eric’s, and Mary’s I believe) sitting together on the studio set knitting or crocheting or something like that while they waited for their children to finish that day’s filming. I would have loved if the women in my community had come together to make me a quilt when I was 17.

[patriciaanne]

I have always wanted to learn to quilt. Now after all these years I realize I should have been an actress. I would have loved to have sat around crocheting and getting paid for it. 🤣

So glad you have your beret, Tracey. What a great memory!

[Emmy]

There is of course no Quilt tradition like this anymore, but I wish there were. I would love to have a quilt that was made by my mom and grandmom and even my friends or my moms friends who have seen me grow up contribute to it. I think that would be such a great thing to have going into adulthood. 

[flossieskid]

Thank you to everyone who commented about the quilting episode. Now I remember some of the plot points. I always thought it odd that Mary Ellen was definitely a “feminist” (in the best sense of the word) as she became a young woman on the show, but no one else seemed to support her. Erin and Elizabeth were too young to understand the concept of “equality for all women”.

The show never explained (or did it?) how Mary Ellen achieved this mind set? She loved her grandma and Olivia, but they didn’t choose a job outside their home in addition to having a child, like Mary Ellen did. I don’t recall if the show highlighted the back story as to why Mary Ellen’s perception of “wife, mother and working mom” is so different from her sisters, mother and grandmother? I know she fought for equality, in her own time, perhaps mimicking some of Earl’s sisters?

I still can’t believe, after many decades, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has NEVER been ratified to add it as an amendment to our constitution guaranteeing women all the exact same rights that men currently enjoy. I think Mary Ellen would be leading the protests!!

I hope new young women fans of The Waltons will see the episodes that promote the equality of ALL people and that message will resonate with them. How amazing that 50 years later the words written in a Walton screenplay still have a lasting impact in the lives of the viewers. Wouldn’t Earl be so very proud?!?

[Easton]

Mary Ellen's future was hinted at from the very beginning, starting with The Homecoming and the early seasons of The Waltons. She was a tomboy who was any boy's equal in most things. She could out-pitch, out-catch, out-run any boy in the school. I think that began to change with GW when she began to realise that it was okay to be a young lady as well at times.

In one episode, she was making payments to Ike Godsey for a new baseball glove but, to impress GW, she bought a dress which she deeply regretted buying. (It truly was not flattering on her.) She traded it back for the glove.

Kudos to Judy for being able to handle the tomboy persona with such aplomb, but it was that tomboyish background and self-assuredness that allowed her to stand up to the dean in medical school and proclaim that she would become a doctor.

[Emmy]

Mar 16, 2023 5:01:57 GMT -5 flossieskid said:

Thank you to everyone who commented about the quilting episode. Now I remember some of the plot points. I always thought it odd that Mary Ellen was definitely a “feminist” (in the best sense of the word) as she became a young woman on the show, but no one else seemed to support her. Erin and Elizabeth were too young to understand the concept of “equality for all women”.

The show never explained (or did it?) how Mary Ellen achieved this mind set? She loved her grandma and Olivia, but they didn’t choose a job outside their home in addition to having a child, like Mary Ellen did. I don’t recall if the show highlighted the back story as to why Mary Ellen’s perception of “wife, mother and working mom” is so different from her sisters, mother and grandmother? I know she fought for equality, in her own time, perhaps mimicking some of Earl’s sisters?

I still can’t believe, after many decades, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has NEVER been ratified to add it as an amendment to our constitution guaranteeing women all the exact same rights that men currently enjoy. I think Mary Ellen would be leading the protests!!

I hope new young women fans of The Waltons will see the episodes that promote the equality of ALL people and that message will resonate with them. How amazing that 50 years later the words written in a Walton screenplay still have a lasting impact in the lives of the viewers. Wouldn’t Earl be so very proud?!?

Miss Tracey, what you said at the end of your post is why I love the Waltons so much. The show was way before my time not only that it was first aired in 1972 and I was born in 2009, but the time frame around the depression and World War II, but the show is really relevant for today in many ways like you said with issues about equality and others like racism as well.